Winemaker Notes
With distinctive aromatics of white peach, Granny Smith apples, honeysuckle, and flint, this dry Chenin is vivid and lively. On the palate, an explosion of flavors unfolds, showcasing stone fruit, magnolia, jasmine, and tangerine, offset by a remarkable note of salinity. The wine is snappy and interesting, carrying through to a flavorful and vibrant mouthwatering finish.
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
Lemon sorbet and sage mix with wet stones and dusty dried flowers as the 2023 Chenin Blanc Old Vines evolves in the glass. This is wickedly fresh, with a citrus tinge up front followed by ripe pit fruits and inner herbal tones. A core of zesty acidity lends energy. The 2023 tapers off with a citrus concentration and pleasant chew, leaving behind perfumed inner florals and a lovely mineral tinge. This is fantastic and represents a remarkable value.
-
James Suckling
Fragrant notes of jasmine, sliced pears and golden apples waft from the glass. It’s bright and creamy with a medium body. Pretty floral and mineral undertones to the fresh fruit.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Chenin Blanc Old Vines comes from vines more than 45 years old. Brought up in stainless steel, it has pretty scents of peach, lemongrass, toast and honey. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated and mouth-coating with gently honeyed fruit. Its generosity is foiled by vibrant acidity, and it has a long, flavorful finish.
-
Wine Enthusiast
A tangerine dream aroma is a great start, especially when aided by wisps of pine and butter. The wine's acidity is gentle, with flavors like passion fruit, lime, Thai basil and macadamia nuts gliding along a smooth texture. I'd suggest sipping this Chenin Blanc all by itself as the sun goes down.
Best Buy
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
As the first recognized wine-growing region in the Pacific Northwest, Yakima Valley is centrally located within Washington’s vast Columbia Valley. The region also includes Washington’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines, Otis Vineyard, planted in 1957, and Harrison Hill Vineyard, planted in 1963. Yakima Valley contains three smaller sub-regions: Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, and Snipes Mountain and is ideal for both red and white wine production. In fact, Yakima Valley is Washington’s most diverse region, boasting more than 40 different grape varieties over about one hundred miles.
The cooler parts of the valley are home to almost half of the Chardonnay and Riesling produced in the state! Both are made in a wide range of styles depending on the conditions of the vineyard site.
But its warmer locations yield a large proportion of Washington’s best Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The finest Yakima Valley reds are jam-packed full of red cherry, currant, raspberry or blackberry fruit, as well as cocoa, herb, spice and savory notes, and exhibit a supple texture, great body, focus and length.